US names Pakistan, Saudi Arabia among buyers in new American air-to-air missile deal

Pakistan Air Force (PAF) F-16 fighter jet performs during the Pakistan Day military parade in Islamabad, Pakistan, on March 23, 2022. (REUTERS/File)
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Updated 07 October 2025
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US names Pakistan, Saudi Arabia among buyers in new American air-to-air missile deal

  • Department of War lists both nations in $41.7 million Raytheon contract for fighter-jet missiles
  • Separate $24 million award covers communications upgrades on Saudi F-15 aircraft

ISLAMABAD: The US Department of War has named Pakistan and Saudi Arabia among countries included in a new contract for the supply of US-made air-to-air missiles, while separately approving a deal to improve communications systems on Saudi fighter jets, according to an official statement released on its website.

In its Sept. 30 bulletin, the Department of War said it had awarded Raytheon Missiles & Defense a $41.68 million modification “to provide production support for the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile,” a weapon designed to enable fighter aircraft to destroy enemy planes at long range.

The same announcement listed a wide range of US allies and partners receiving the system through the Foreign Military Sales program.

“This contract involves foreign military sales to United Kingdom, Poland, Pakistan, Germany, Finland, Australia, Romania, Qatar, Oman, Korea, Greece, Switzerland, Portugal, Singapore, Netherlands, Czech Republic, Japan, Slovakia, Denmark, Canada, Belgium, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, Italy, Norway, Spain, Kuwait, Finland, Sweden, Taiwan, Lithuania, Israel, Bulgaria, Hungary and Turkiye,” the Department of War statement read.

The release did not specify how many missiles each country would receive or when deliveries would begin, details that are typically disclosed later through government-to-government filings.

The contract funds ongoing production of the Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile (AMRAAM), which is used by more than 40 countries. Pakistan employs the system on its F-16 fighter jets, while Saudi Arabia operates it on F-15 aircraft.

Pakistan’s defense ministry had not issued any public comment on the latest contract listings as of Tuesday.

In a separate notice, the Department of War announced a $24.17 million contract for technical support to upgrade Link-16, a secure tactical data network that enables Saudi F-15 pilots and command centers to share real-time information on targets and threats. The work will be carried out in Saudi Arabia and continue through March 2031, the department said.

Both awards reflect Washington’s continuing defense cooperation with partners in the Middle East and South Asia. While Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are regularly listed in such multi-nation programs, the Department of War rarely releases individual country breakdowns in initial contract statements.

The Advanced Medium-Range Air-to-Air Missile has been a cornerstone of US and allied air defense for over three decades, capable of striking airborne targets at ranges exceeding 30 kilometers depending on the variant. 


Pakistani special aircraft carrying 100 tons of relief supplies for Gaza arrives in Egypt

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Pakistani special aircraft carrying 100 tons of relief supplies for Gaza arrives in Egypt

  • Relief consignment contains tents, tarpaulin sheets and jerry cans, says state media 
  • Israel has killed over 69,000 Palestinians in Gaza in its war that began in October 2023

Islamabad: A special chartered aircraft from Pakistan carrying 100 tons of humanitarian and relief supplies for the people of Gaza landed at the El Arish International Airport in Egypt on Tuesday, Pakistani state media reported. 

The aircraft was dispatched by Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA), in collaboration with local charity organization Al-Khidmat Foundation, from the eastern city of Lahore on Tuesday. 

“The relief consignment includes non-food items consisting much-needed tents, tarpaulin sheets and jerry cans,” state broadcaster Radio Pakistan reported. 

The aid supplies were handed over to the Egyptian Red Crescent Society to be dispatched onwards to the people of Gaza. 

“The Government and people of Pakistan are profoundly thankful to the Egyptian government under the leadership of President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi, and Egyptian Red Crescent Society for facilitating the delivery of humanitarian assistance from the Government and people of Pakistan for the Palestinian brethren,” Radio Pakistan added. 

“More humanitarian and relief consignments are on their way and will be delivered to the brotherly people of Gaza during coming weeks,” the state media said. 

Pakistan has sent relief items for Palestinians since Israel’s war on Gaza began in October 2023. At least 69,000 Palestinians were killed in Gaza during the almost two years of war that began in October 2023. 

Israeli forces bombed schools, hospitals and educational institutions during the war, killing a large number of women and children. 

Israel also blocked humanitarian and relief supplies from reaching Gaza, causing hunger and diseases to spread across the densely populated territory before a fragile ceasefire was brokered by the US this year.